Sapa is a frontier town in Lao Cai Province in north west Vietnam, about 380 km from Hanoi, close to the China border. Sapa first appeared in the national map in the late 1880s when the French disembarked in highland Tonkin. The first French arrived in Sapa in 1909, and by 1920, there were a number of villas built in this area by several wealthy people. Going through many ups and downs, Sapa nowadays becomes the premier holiday destination for both locals and foreigners.

The town has the most of the spectacular views emerging on clear days. In cloudy days, it is often shrouded by thick mist rolling across the mountains, but even that, Sapa is still a fascinating destination, especially when local hill tribes fill the streets with vivid color of their costumes.

There is nowhere in Vietnam that you can easily see local ethnic minorities like in Sapa. The town is home of a great diversity of ethnic people, including Hmong, Dao (Yao), Pho Lu, as well as a smaller number of Tay and Giay. Most of them live in small villages in modest huts and hamlets scattered throughout the region. Sapa town is the place where they come to gather, buy or selling goods like corn, rice, handicrafts and souvenir to tourists. A surprise and interesting fact for many visitors here is that lots of ethnic minority people in Sapa, especially children, can speak English very well in spite of not attending any school.

When to go
At the height of 1,600m about the sea level, the average temperature is 15-18°C. The climate is moderate and cool in the summer, wet from May to September and foggy and cold in winter (November to February). Visitors to Sapa in summer can witness four seasons in one day. Morning and afternoon, it is cool like the weather in spring and autumn. At noon, it’s sunny with a cloudless sky. And the weather turns into cold in the evening. A thunderstorm short and rains may come on any summer day.

Sapa is a year-round destination with its own charm in each season. Best time to go depends on what you want to see. Sapa is perhaps most beautiful in spring when it is blooming with many kinds of flower like apricot, plum and cherry. For many people, the best time to come is between May and September, also the rainy season, when the rice paddies are green. The winter is very cold, the temperature can drop below zero and there might be snow, a rare marvel of nature in a country of tropical climate like Vietnam. The view of Sapa’s rice terraces is best seen between September to October when the weather is cool and the harvest season comes to town.

Getting thereBy road
The newly opened highway linking Hanoi and Lao Cai province provides a more convenient and faster way to Sapa as it cuts in half the travel time to 4 – 5 hours instead of 8 hours as before.

By overnight train
Take an overnight train is a traditional way that’s safer than a bus or motorbike, and cheaper than hiring a car. There are sleeper trains leave Hanoi Railway Station each evening. It will take around 8 hours to reach Lao Cai. Then you continue by car about 30km to Sapa. Normally, trains have three types of cabins: 4-berth, 6-berth and soft-seat cabins. There are also daytime trains depart in the morning and arrive in the afternoon, but it is not recommended as they make many stops along the way.

By motorbike
This kind of transport is for backpackers and adventurous travelers. There are two main routes to get Sapa from Hanoi: via Lao Cai or take the direction of Lai Chau. While the former is quite easy, the latter is a little challenging as you have to conquer 2 of 4 legendary mountain passes in the Northwestern Vietnam, the 30km Khau Pha pass and O Quy Ho, Vietnam’s longest pass of 50km. However, traveling by motorbike gives you the freedom as you can stop to rest anytime and enjoy the stunning scenery along the way that other ways of travel cannot offer.

Cat Cat Village
One of the most popular attractions in town located within easy walking distance from the center. The village was established in the 19th century by the gathering of some ethnic families in the mountainous areas, especially the Black H’mong. Visiting Cat Cat, tourists will be impressed by the peaceful sceneries of women sitting in front of the loom with colorful pieces of brocade, while children playing around with pets or even livestock. Moreover, the village is also famous for manipulating sophisticated gold and silver jewelries.

Ta Phin Village
Located about 17km in the west of Sapa, Ta Phin is home to Red Dao and H’mong ethnic minorities living side by side for hundreds of years but still retain their own tradition and cultures. Stroll around the village, enjoy the picturesque landscape of rice fields, mountains, streams and hill tribe houses, you will learn the differences between these tribal communities. Ta Phin is also known as the brocade village where visitors can find distinctively hand-made brocades made by locals.

Bac Ha market
Bac Ha market takes place every Sunday and is the biggest ethnic market in Northwest Vietnam, attracting throngs of local people from the surrounding hill tribes. Some have to walk several hours for the weekly opportunity to buy and sell goods and homemade products. Yet the distance has never discouraged them from joining this Sunday colorful market. It is also considered a place for people to meet, for women to demonstrate their colorful traditional costumes, for the young to find their dates. The market is not only a draw for locals, it’s a big hit with travelers too. Bac Ha Market is really a feast for the eyes!

Ham Rong Mountain
Stand at 1,850 meters high, Ham Rong Mountain peak rises as dragon-head in the sky. From here, visitors can see the stunning sunset paint of brilliant hues with the below town and valley as the background. You will also catch beautiful views of the Indochina rooftop, Mt. Fansipan in sunny days. Ham Rong Mountain is actually located in the same name flower park with beautiful landscaped gardens of numerous kinds of orchids and flowers. Only a short walk from Sapa church, it is best visited in spring, when all flowers in blossom, boast their beauty and perfume.

Climbing Fansipan Mountain
At the height of 3,143m, Fansipan has been widely known as the highest peak in Vietnam. Conquering the summit often takes around 2 days with one night spending in tents or bamboo huts located at 2,200m. One-day trek is also possible if you are well fit. With the newly-opened cable car system, visitors now can reach the summit within 15 minutes instead of two day challenging trek before.

Trekking
Sapa is voted as one of Vietnam’s best trekking destinations, flavored by both natives and foreigners. Though you can see the beauty of Sapa from an AC vehicle, it’s only when hike through rice terraced fields, forest and visit remote villages of ethnic minorities that you will really experience all that this region has to offer. The scenery of Sapa reflects the harmony between people and nature. You can see it in the many rice fields carpeting the rolling slopes of the Hoang Lien Mountain.

You can trek to Lao Chai, Ta Van, Giang Ta Chai, Ban Ho or the Silver Waterfall, it depends on the time you have, where you want to go and how active you are.

Ethnic markets
In Sapa, ethnic market is not all about Bac Ha. There are many other authentic markets for you to choose from.
• Coc Ly market on Tuesday is colored by the distinctive and bright costumes of the Flower H’mong ethnicity. This market is about 35km from Bac Ha.
• Xin Cheng market opens on every Wednesdays, a gathering point of many local minorities such as Flower Hmong, Tay and Giay.
• Lung Khau Nhin market taking place every Thursday. A small market hides itself among the mountains and forests of the far north. It still keeps many original characters.
• Can Cau market is one of Vietnam’s most fascinating open air markets which takes place only on Saturday every week. This is a bustling local market still retains the local quaint and authentic. It is about 130km from Sapa
• Lung Phin Market: this small market opens on Sunday and about 120km from Sapa.
• Binh Lu & Tam Duong Market (Every Sunday) is located on the other side of Sapa past Tram Ton Pass.

Another reason draws visitors to Sapa is its specialties. The cool weather makes barbecued meat and fish with mushroom and sub-tropical vegetables like white cauliflower, red beet, and chayote the most favorite street foods in Sapa. Some must try dishes includes oiled chayote consumed with sesame or “lon cap nach”- pig carried under armpit, which are home pigs but are raised in the field or forest. You can also try many other local dishes such as purple sticky rice, “thang co”, a horse meat soup in many markets. Western restaurant can be found around the center of the town with a very affordable price.

Red Dao House
Address: 4B Thac Bac St, Sapa
This smart restaurant has a nice front terrace with unique design resembling a hill-tribe house and the staff wearing traditional Dao costumes. . This is one of the best restaurants in town serving both Vietnamese and Western menu. Local specialties like pan fried prawn with garlic, honey-roasted duck, steak with mushroom sauce, and chicken hot pot are also available.

The Gecko Restaurant
Address: 4 Ham Rong St, Sapa
Located in the center of the town, Le Gecko has a well-established reputation for its French cuisine. The Le Gecko itself includes a hotel, a restaurant and a bar. The restaurant is wooden traditional H'mong house with Black H'mong decoration. Pizza, sandwiches and pasta are among the most favorite dishes. With view over Sapa Park, this place is a great choice for people watch daily life while enjoy their meal.

Buffalo Bell Restaurant
Address: 25 Cau May, Sapa
Located at the busiest street in Sapa, Buffalo Bell Restaurant can accommodate up to 60 guests. It serves traditional home style cooked dishes with international ones. The restaurant also has an outdoor terrace bar, makes it a perfect setting for relax and hang out after exploring the town.

The Hill Station Signature Restaurant
Address: 37 Fansipan St
Situated right at the corner of Fansipan St., this new restaurant offers a diverse menu coming with a wide list of wine. Specializing in the food of the ethnic minorities in the region combining with Danish design sensibility with local touches and view of the town and mountain.

Lucky Daisy's Bamboo Bar + Restaurant
Address: Ta Van village, Muong Hoa valley, Sapa
A 30 minute drive will take you to the restaurant sets amid stunning mountain and rice terraces in Ta Van village. It's also a bar and pub. In fact, it is not mainly a public restaurant, guests are served for the night with Sapa local dinners. Eddie and Hien, the owners, are very helpful and considerable hosts to make your stay comfortable and memorable.

I don’t normally interact with the operators Helen introduces me to other than during the face to face during the site and trip. However, I just had to write you about my experience in Vietnam. Thank you for indulging me for the next few minutes.

First, despite a semi-reluctant agreement to do it—your recommendation for Vietnam and Siem Reap ended up being fantastic. You were right on many points including the food, the hotels and the people.

Second, your Vietnam team is incredible. I genuinely love the people you have there. Cindy is a solid leader and very hospitable. Linda was so attentive to all of our needs and thoughts. I made significant change requests at 8:30 pm at dinner and by 9:00 am the next morning…done! As for Hanna…my wife and I adore her. She is sweet, kind and has a heart to help others like nobody I have met.

Having forgotten to gather some dolls Hanna had provided—we were on our way to the airport. Hanna called to find out where we were. There was no time to turn around—so she decide to scooter it out to us. I don’t have to tell you about traffic—but somehow she made up the 10-15 minute lead we had, got off her scooter and ran the dolls to our van. Her smile was so beautiful. She walked to the side of the road and waved to us until we were out of sight. At that moment, Jen and I decided to make her our Honorary Daughter. I don’t know exactly what that means now—but she has two brothers that want to meet her!!

In addition to the doll driving spectacular, Hanna’s English is near perfect and her ability to translate what we wanted to others seemed to be spot on. And when I say “translate” I don’t just mean English to Vietnamese—I mean from “what does this blabbering—can’t make up his mind—crazy guy saying” to “yes, sir—here you go!”

In addition to the team, we had super guides—each with their unique strengths and capabilities:

Quyen’s English is very good -but still has an excellent accent which I believe is part of the experience. His knowledge of military, family and religious matters is impeccable. We really enjoyed Quyen and our time with him. He has a good sense of humor and understood my sarcasm (a staple of my personality) perfectly. I think Quyen’s biggest opportunity to improve is learning to read people. With his incredible knowledge came some long-winded monologues on various subjects. I mentioned this to him. Sometimes it is hard to read groups because some may be interested. However, my experience leads me to believe two things about leading group tours. 1. Once you get to 10% of the group looking less interested…move on—those interested will ask questions. 2. Always leave people wanting for more. Think about a meal—sure I could eat a 16 oz steak—but how would I feel afterward. 10 oz—is perfect—I’m not hungry, but I am looking forward to another sooner than later. If Quyen can master these ideas he becomes one of the best guides in the World—not just Vietnam. Again, still one of the best I have worked with and on a personal one-on-one note—I love this guy and related really well to each other. I’d like him to lead in Ha Noi and be on the guide team in Hoi An as well.

Tra. His knowledge was deeper than imagined and it only took a bit of time to hear him clearly. More, he, like Hanna, has a big heart. He shared his story as a child in Vietnam and it blows be away. The resiliency of this guy is incredible. Despite such turmoil in his life he has built a happy life and has helped his children build a great future--I truly admire this. Not a minute went by that he didn’t do whatever it took for us to be happy—including taking us to see fireworks well after the originally stated end time for the day—and at a time he would have much rather have been watching World Cup action. He is a class guy and our guests will enjoy him as much as I did. In fact, I can say we bonded as friends in the short time we were there and I intend to stay in touch with him. I’m sorry I can’t recall the drivers name—and I should—he was very gracious, drove safely and had an excellent demeanor. I want him with our group too.

Thank you for a great trip. In fact, I have told many people that I intend to return on my own in the not too distant future. I’ve been all over the world and to some of the most sought after destinations and hotels, etc, I’ve never felt that way before. It’s never been a MUST.

Our guides were very customer oriented, except Johnny in Saigon, who really was so self interested and not focused on giving us the best tour. The last hotel was very poor compared to others and left us with a bad taste. Especially with Anantara only a few doors away. In addition, we asked for boutique hotels like Anantara and were put in a large corporate hotel in Saigon. The fact that the tour arranger did not pick up that we had no flights from Siem Reap to Hanoi was very disturbing and created much upset on the trip. We only did very touristy things. We were hoping, as with other tours, you would offer opportunities off the beaten track that were more original and different, this was disappointing.

We enjoyed the entire trip. The guide in Hanoi was satisfactory. The guide in Hue and the rest of Vietnam Suooang was terrific. She went out of her way. We loved her. The guide Chia in Bangkok was also superior. He also went out of his way to add to our trip. The guide in Siem Repp was not terrific. I wore a sleeveless dress in the morning. We went back to the hotel after lunch before Angkor Wat. Of course they didn't want to let me go up to the top. He should have told me to change. He knew they wouldn't let me up.

I could not be happier with your service and the planning of this wonderful trip. Everything was first class. Although I was traveling alone, I felt safe and secure at all times. In particular my travel consultant Danny P. should be highly praised for all his knowledge and work to put this together. Thank you Danny

Thank you for your email - I was going to be writing to you today in any event to thank you and all at 365 for making our trip so memorable and indeed perfect! I will try to give you as much feedback here as possible and will try to be as logical as possible but forgive me if I miss anything out.

Organisation: This was perfect throughout the trip in every respect with timekeeping perfect and the guides and drivers appearing as if by magic at exactly the right time.

Guides: All 3 guides were very good being both friendly and very knowledgeable and really brought our trip alive, although I have to make a special mention of Thang who I think was exceptional.

Hotels: All hotels were good but we felt that the Angkor Regency was the best hotel and also loved the Victoria as it was not only very good but also had special charm. The Green Palace was probably the least favourite.

Vietnam Trips: We did so much in such a short space of time I will not try to mention all as we felt the itinerary was very very good for the whole trip. But worthy of mention was the Birthday Boat trip was very good despite the last minute change and it was very much appreciated by all of us - thank you once again! The Tunnels were also very good and we all loved all the trips on the Mekong.

Cambodia Trips: The Killing Fields and S21 were very moving and should be seen by all and all the Temples at Angkor Wat were fantastic.

I took over 1500 photos and will put some of these on the Westminster website.

Please pass on my sincere thanks to Cindy and all those involved in making this a truly exceptional experience and I now have no hesitation at all in trying to encourage our clients from Westminster Tours to use 365. I will meet with Cindy when she is in London in November (please ask her to email me with exactly what dates she will be here) to see how best to develop things.

Guides in Hanoi Siem Reep and Saigon were fantastic. May our guide in Saigon was so nice and very gracious. Our guide on the ship Adam was outstanding and would be a great asset to 365 Travel. The AMA sip was wonderful, food great, tours nice and service impeccable. We would use your agency again for sure. Thank you to Danny for Doing this for us. I would upgrade everyone to the Metropole in Hanoi. It was an experience in itself. A fine old world hotel.

We had a wonderful time, but would like to provide some more detailed feedback that may be useful. (Intent is to be helpful, not to complain, we have no complaints really.) 1) Guides: The guides turned out to be more essential than we thought. For one thing, we were able to see more and understand more without having to manage logistics. They were always very attentive, made sure we had water, didn't get lost, didn't get hassled, etc. Phong (HoiAn), however, set the bar, and maybe to the detriment of the other guides because she was absolutely amazing. She had an unerring ability to anticipate what we would like to see or do, when we might be flagging, when we needed quiet or fun, or food. She always seemed to have interesting background information we couldn't get from guide books. I mentioned that I would have liked to get a silk lantern and she arranged to have one for me when we got back to Hanoi (we missed the email she sent, however, so she offered to send it to Canada. Unbelievable.) She was delightful to be around and just the right amount of personal and professional. The others were for the most part, good, but language was really important and there was a range of capacity. The guide in Saigon was limited this way, and it was occasionally led to disappointment. Saigon was one place, though, where someone who was fluent in English would have made a significant difference.

Our trip to Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam was rich in culture and learning. 365 Travel made it so easy for us to be engaged in our trip instead of on our trip. Our responsibility was to enjoy and participate as the details of travel, accommodations and activities were all in place. This was no small activity as we boarded ten plane flights and went through immigration and customs five times all without incident. Each of our guides was unique in that they were from the culture therefore able to help immerse us in the culture. Having a personal guide allowed us to adjust the schedule based on our interests and various needs. The next time we travel somewhere this adventuresome, 365 Travel will be at our side.

We went to Vietnam as well as Thailand and our trip was planned out perfectly. Daisy and the tour guides did a great job making sure everything worked out as planned. Daisy even called us a couple times along the way to make sure everything was going smoothly and we were happy with the arrangements. The tour hit all of the spots that we were interested in and we even made a couple special requests to change some things along the way and it wasn't a problem. The tour guides spoke great English and were very knowledgeable about their specific area. Overall we had a wonderful time and will be recommending this company to friends and family.

We were very impressed with the quality of the guides/drivers/vehicles as well as the accommodations and logistics. Everything was as good or better than advertised. Kensington did an excellent job of taking care of all the little things as well. From providing a cell phone for use in country, to checking in with us periodically to make sure all was well. We'd definitely use and recommend Kensington for any future travel

Hi Daisy.
We had a wonderful trip to Hanoi and to Halong Bay. Your planning and service was very gracious and thorough. Mr. Hung was very interesting, intelligent and patient with us. His care and servicces were very accommodating. He knows the area and the history of the area which we appreciated very much. His help with our luggage and rescheduling our flight back to HCMC was very helpful.

Thank you for such a memorable trip. When we return we will contact you and 365 again to plan our travels to other areas we would like to visit when we come again to Vietnam.

My family of four just completed a 14 day excursion with 365 Travel that included 4 days in Thailand, 3 days in Cambodia and 7 days in Vietnam. I worked with an amazing trip planner Hanna Doan who was extremely accomodating to all of our requests and allowed us great flexibility to make changes sometimes necessitated by air travel changes. She was a great resource when we chose to make some of the hotel arrangements on our own. I had the chance to meet Hanna in Hanoi and she was a lovely person who even gave us beautiful souvenier gifts from her country.

I will start by saying that our family has traveled throughout the world with a number of great tour operators and the level of customer service focus of this company is about as good as it gets. At each of our stops, we were met by wonderful guides who were kind, passionate, informed and friendly and drivers who were not onlyexcellent drivers in navigating through an amazing web of traffic at many large cities but were always courteous and giving us water and facial wipes along the way. The guides responded to all of our questions, gave us suggestions and even treated us to local food and drink for tastings. They were also very patient with us waiting sometimes hours at the airport due to flight delays or visa issuance delays in Ho Chi Minh city. They made sure at hotels and airports that everything was in order before leaving us even though we had made some of these arrangements on our own.

365 Travel was extremely helpful in designing itineraries that met our needs in terms of the number and types of places we wanted to visit. Never did they say no to something or indicate that our requests were not reasonable. The lunches and dinners that were included were all very good with restaurants that provided good food and service by our standards. I can't say enough great things about their attention to detail and making sure their services were always to our satisfaction.

Before the trip, I had considered 3 other recommended tour operators, which were larger and had more reviews. I went with 365 Travel mostly because of the attention Hanna provided and their great flexibility and knowledge. I found their pricing to be very fair. I am truly glad that I went with 365 Travel and recommend them without any reservation. A friend of mine who also used them on a Vietnam trip during the same period we were in were also very pleased with their services.

The happy memories we created through this trip we owe in great part to the great attention and services we received from 365 Travel and Hanna.

When your knowledge of the language is limited to "hello" and "thank you" it's VERY desirable to have a native-speaking guide at your side, and 365 provides friendly, knowledgable, professionals waiting for you at every stop. And we had many stops in our four-week travels, excellently planned, collaboratively with us, by Daisy. They even shuttled us to and from a resort we booked independently. It's also compelling for us that every guides was local to the area we were visiting, and took pride and interest in their home area - besides having lots of useful information and guidance.
Besides the Vietnam destinations mentioned in other reviews, we stopped in Phnom Penh, Siem Reap (for the Angkor complex), Luang Prabang, Chiang Mai, and Bangkok. Fascinating. Too many highlights to mention - though being at a temple hearing monks chanting into the New Year, and then seeing revelers launch small hot-air balloons, was really special.

Having an unscheduled day after the endless flights to Hanoi was a smart decision, as was a beach day before flying home! Good to know is that visits to workshops and demonstrations carry an expectation that you'll make a purchase - so be prepared to buy - or decline.
We should also add that 365 accommodated our - sometimes last-minute - change requests, both before and during our travels. And that flexibility made for a more enjoyable / interesting / balanced trip. Finally we should add that we'd got a quote from another custom provider before we discovered 365 online, and 365 were able to offer a very similar itinerary at a very competitive rate.
Should we return to the region, we wouldn't think of arranging it with another provider. Thanks Daisy, and all the guides.

We spent a total of 19 days visiting Vietnam and Cambodia. I planned the trip with fairly short notice and rather individualized. Daisy was super accommodating with our requests even after our arrival. She showed great concern for our well-being when the weather turned cold as we were heading toward Sapa in the mountains. We purchased the ubiquitous "North Face" jackets for the experience of snow in Vietnam. Our trip had numerous guides and every form of travel. Never once were we stranded by our hosts. Our favorite parts of the trip were Sapa, Ha Long Bay (boat), Hoi An (beach), and Angkor Wat. In these and the other locations we always felt well taken care of in excellent hotels and on the arranged tours. The vacation using 365 Travel met our expectations and then some. I would highly recommend using 365 for your Southeast Asia travels.